Soup on a Snowy Night

On a cold, dreary Wednesday evening, there was nothing more comforting than a cup of steaming hot broccoli cheese soup. This recipe has been a winter staple in Mom and Dad’s house as long as I can remember. This is going to be weird, but I distinctly remember eating this on Halloween several times after trick or treating. It was one of those soups Mom was always ready to whip up. Have a bad day? Soup. Need a warm, stick-to-the ribs kind of meal? Soup. This recipe is easy to make anytime, any day. I really went back to my roots serving it up as well. Even before I was a Panera Bread cashier and bakery associate trainer, I can distinctly remember Mom going out to Panera to bring home bread bowls on a special day serving up this soup. I followed suite this time around, bringing home two delicious bread bowls to fill. Unlike its Panera cousin, Mom’s broccoli cheese is actually about the broccoli. Often, you get a cheese soup with some broccoli pieces in it. Instead, Mom’s recipe is rich and satisfying without killing the calories and fat content. Relax, put some Netflix on, and enjoy.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of butter

1 yellow onion, diced

1/4 cup flour

A bunch of broccoli stems trimmed, roughly chopped

1 box (32oz) chicken stock

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 cups of milk

8oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt and Pepper to taste

Steps:

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until slightly browned, 5-7 minutes.

Add the flour and whisk for about 1 minute.

Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking constantly.

Add the broccoli and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Uncover, and blend the soup. Use an immersion blender if you have it. Otherwise, you can blend the soup in the blender in phases.